The mill is supposed to be completely finished for merchant work,
on the new plan; supplied with a stock of grain, flour casks,
nails, brushes, picks, shovels, scales, weights, etc., when the
millers enter on their duty.
If there be two of them capable of standing watch, or taking charge
of the mill, the time is generally divided as follows. In the
day-time both attend to business, but one of them has the chief
direction. The night is divided into two watches, the first of
which ends at one o’clock in the morning, when the master miller
should enter on his watch, and continue till day-light that he may
be ready to direct other hands to their business early. The first
thing he should do, when his watch begins, is to see whether the
stones are grinding, and the cloths bolting well. And secondly, he
should review all the moving gudgeons of the mill, to see whether
any of them want grease, etc.; for want of this, the gudgeons often
run dry, and heat, which bring on heavy losses in time and repairs;
for when they heat, they get a little loose, and the stones they
run on crack, after which they cannot be kept cool. He should also
see what quantity of grain is over the stones, and if there be not
enough to supply them till morning, set the cleaning machines in
motion.
All things being set right, his duty is very easy--he has only
to see to the machinery, the grinding, and the bolting once in
every hour; he has, therefore, plenty of time to amuse himself by
reading, or otherwise.
Early in the morning all the floors should be swept, and the flour
dust collected; the casks nailed, weighed, marked, and branded, and
the packing begun, that it may be completed in the forepart of the
day; by this means, should any unforseen thing occur, there will be
spare time. Besides, to leave the packing till the afternoon, is a
lazy practice, and keeps the business out of order.
When the stones are to be sharpened, everything necessary should
be prepared before the mill is stopped, (especially if there is
but one pair of stones to a water-wheel) that as little time as
possible may be lost: the picks should be made quite sharp, and not
be less than 12 in number. Things being ready, the miller is then
to take up the stone; set one hand to each, and dress them as soon
as possible, that they may be set to work again; not forgetting to
grease the gears and spindle foot.
In the after part of the day, a sufficient quantity of grain is to
be cleaned down, to supply the stones the whole night; because it
is best to have nothing more to do in the night, than to attend to
the grinding, bolting, gudgeons, etc.”
Shades of the coffee break and the forty-hour week! Apparently Evans
and his millers hardly found time to stop and get a bite to eat.
Interesting, the old methods and way of life compared with our present
day methods and ways of existence.